Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-07-04-Speech-1-108"
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"en.20050704.17.1-108"2
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"Although the introduction of the euro was one of the most important events in the history of the European Union, mistakes were made; they were not small ones, and they resulted in a decrease of the euro's popularity amongst Europeans. We, as new Member States, have the advantage of being able to learn from these mistakes. First of all we have to see the effect on the cost of living; statistics do indeed show that the average cost of living only increased minimally with the introduction of the euro, but, as colleagues of mine have remarked, when one delves deeper into the subject one realises that there were substantial increases in the prices of objects and services which European citizens use everyday.
Secondly, rather than focusing on superficial issues, a campaign on the euro should concentrate on consumer protection and on preventing abusive increases in prices, for we cannot allow the change in currency to become another occasion for a few irresponsible businessmen to take the opportunity to increase prices more than they should. Thirdly, where the adoption of the euro is concerned, there is a need for broad consultation between social partners. In Malta, for example, the decision that we should join the ERM2 now, was taken unilaterally by the government without any kind of consultation, not even about the base rate. This is the ideal recipe for further increasing resistance in the future. This is not how things should be done. I believe that the euro project is very important for the European Union and for the new Member States, but this should be done without unnecessary haste, for as they say, haste trips up its own heels, and from this haste it is only the poorer classes who suffer."@en1
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